The All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria (AICAN) has warned of a possible protest at the All Progressives Congress (APC) national convention in Abuja over delayed payments for government contracts.
Jackson Nwosu, national president of AICAN, spoke in Abuja on Tuesday during a resumed protest by members of the association.
The association is demanding the immediate release of N150 billion owed to its members, citing slow disbursements for verified federal projects executed in 2024 and 2025.
Nwosu said the federal government has so far released only N21 billion to the association’s members, with over N1 trillion still outstanding.
Seun Babatunde, national secretary of AICAN, said many contractors are facing severe financial strain due to the unpaid contracts.
AICAN members have staged multiple protests in Abuja over unpaid contracts executed in 2024 and 2025.
The 2026 appropriation bill allocated N1.7 trillion for verified contractors’ liabilities from 2024 and an additional N100 billion for other local contractors’ debts.
Former Minister of State for Finance, Doris Uzoka-Anite, emphasised that the verification process is critical for ensuring accountability and transparency in public spending.
In December, President Bola Tinubu set up a multi-ministerial committee to resolve the ongoing crisis over unpaid federal contractors, with outstanding payments.
Outstanding contractor debts have been a recurring issue in Nigeria’s public finance management, with similar budgetary provisions made in previous years.
In February, the Senate urged the Federal Government to revert to the old payment system that allowed Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to pay contractors directly.